3 of my favourite picture books from the past year

Welcome by Barroux (Egmont, £6.99)
Before Big Girl started school this autumn, we regularly read the sweet Welcome book by Barroux, which we had received to review. The colourful book, published in September, tells the story of polar bears looking for a new home and other animals they meet turning them away, coming up with different excuses to exclude them. In addition to introducing children to a major current environmental problem, I adore the book because it highlights the importance of including others, being a good friend and being considerate, which is something I want to teach my children.

Vegetable Glue by Susan Chandler and Elena Odriozola (Hutton Grove, £6.99)
This may first have been published in 2015, but we discovered it this year after receiving it at an event, and it’s worth mentioning as I think it’s a really quirky and funny book for children. Vegetable Glue tells the story of a girl who only eats cake, so she’s missing the glue that keeps the body parts together. Four-year-old Big Girl finds it hilarious and it was her first pick when she had the opportunity to bring a book to school. As a parent, I also like the message in the book, offering a playful take on healthy eating. I think it’s a wonderful way to convey the message of the importance of a varied diet and eating vegetables.

Pom Pom is Super by Sophy Henn (Penguin Books, £6.99)
When I received the first Sophy Henn Pom Pom books to review last year, I liked the sound of them so much that I read them before Big Girl got home from nursery. I’m not surprised Penguin lists Henn as one-to-watch, a rising picture book star, and I’ve come to love the way Henn’s Pom Pom series covers important topics that relate to social and emotional development in the early years. Pom Pom is Super, published in August, tells the story about how Pom Pom’s friends help him recognise what makes him super, and I think it’s a sweet story about feelings, friendship and identifying what makes us special.